WINDOWS OF YOUR MIND
The mind is like a large room with many windows. If we keep
the windows closed, the room can become musty and have
an unused smell. When we open the windows we let in fresh
air and light. Reading is one of the main windows of our
mind. When we open it we let in new ideas and dreams, and
open up our life to a whole array of new things. Reading fires
the imagination, kindles the thirst for knowledge, keeps the
mind quiet, develops perspectives and broadens horizons.
Children who can enjoy a good book do not want to be constantly entertained and kept occupied; they are usually self
contained and creative people. The benefits of reading are
many, outlined are a few.
Constant mental exercise: The grey cells of our brain require
constant workouts. And when we do not use it for a time it
tends to atrophy. Reading makes use of certain parts of the
brain, not just in recognizing words but also more importantly in understanding ideas and concepts contained in
the book. When an author tells a story in a certain fashion,
we have to understand and visualize the story and then we
undergo the thrills of a murder mystery or the laughter of a
humorous book.
Ideas and concepts are hazy pictures on what we can do.
Unless the mind has been trained in working with ideas, it
becomes difficult to convert them into action.
The brain: Research on the functions of the two hemispheres
of the brain showed that, the left side governed the language
and verbal skills, linear and literal thinking. Whereas the
right hemisphere specialised in metaphors, working with
images and non- linear thinking. A poet uses the right brain
for feelings and emotions but uses the left side to express
verbally.
Conversely, reading draws upon the left-brain for its verbal
skills but uses the right hemisphere of the brain to understand metaphors and ideas. Reading draws on both hemispheres in conjunction and develops greater brain development and activity. For example, the right hemisphere would
understand the phrase, “He puts my back up,” but the left
may take it literally. The more we get them to work together

the more efficient we make our brain.
Language skills: Language is a vehicle by which we express
ourselves and communicate with one another. The better
we are in a language there are more ways to express ourselves. Without this all-important vehicle can we ever get
anywhere? Big words are considered “hard” words or “difficult” words by students not used to reading. For example
the line “phantasmagoria of a fevered dream” appears in
a book by A. J. Cronin. For the student not used to reading this may make no sense at all. To the regular reader
it would mean “nightmare”. With a solid foundation and
mastery in a language or in several languages (like in India)
you will be better prepared for higher studies, for understanding business concepts or even coming to terms with
complicated concepts in physics or higher maths.
Reading vs the visual media: It has been found that there
is direct correlation between the numbers of hours of TV
watching and fall in grades. The visual media though easier
to assimilate from, does not tax the grey cells and therefore
to understand ideas become difficult. For example, if a
question is turned around, reworded in such a way it reads
differently, then students who have not grasped the original
idea cannot deal with this new situation.
The more TV you watch the less you work out those grey
cells, it is like relaxing in front of the TV and hoping to build
great muscles. Like the muscles in our body, the mind also
needs regular exercise and food. Reading is a great way to
achieve both, you get ideas and there is a regular work out.
That sounds good, doesn’t it?
Quiet Time: In the hustle and bustle of the modern world,
we need time off, to sit by ourselves and not be bothered
by the heat and dust. When you have come back from college or school, after a hard day of study and play, you need
to sit by yourself; reading helps recharge the batteries, so
to say. What better way than to sit with a good book?
Open the windows of your mind and let the sunshine of
new experiences come in, read a book.

1. The Mayo College Mail, Saturday, March 14

daily
PRINCIPAL ON THE COVER PAGE

THE INDIAN MYSTERY

OF MENTOR MAGAZINE

PARTH PARASHAR

A new magazine called ‘MENTOR’ has
published its issue with Mr. Pramod
Sharma’s photo on the cover page and a six
page article of Mayo College. The magazine is available in the Library. To see more
visit www.mentormagazine.net.


In the poem ‘THE
INCREDIBLE INDIA’
of the 5th issue of the
Mail, the illustration
of the Map of India we
printed was incorrect.
We apologise for the
mistake and here is the
correct map of India.

THIS WEEK’S CALENDER
March 15 - Everything Is Wrong Day
March 16 - Everything Is Right Day
March 17 - Submarine Day
March 18 - Supreme Sacriﬁce Day
March 19 - Poultry Day
March 20 - Proposal Day
March 21 - Fragrance Day

Next week’s poll- Should there be practical computer exams for classes 7 to 10? (Submit your opinion
on MAYOONLINE)

2. The Mayo College Mail, Saturday, March 14

pieces

THE POTATO GARDEN
An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted
to spade his potato garden, but it was a very hard
work. His only son, who would have helped him,
was in prison. The old man wrote a le er to his son
and mentioned his situation.
“Dear Son, I am feeling pre y bad because it looks
like I won’t be able to plant my potato garden this
year. I hate to miss doing the garden, because your
mother always loved planting time. I’m just ge ing
too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were
here, all my troubles would be over. I know you
would dig the plot for me, if you weren’t in prison.
Love, dad.
Shortly, the old man received this telegram: ‘For
Heaven’s sake, Dad, don’t dig up the garden!!
That’s where I buried the GUNS!’ At 4 a.m. the
next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police
oﬃcers showed up and dug up the entire garden
without finding any guns. Confused, the old man
wrote another note to his son telling him what
happened, and asked him what to do next. His
son’s reply was: ‘Go ahead and plant your potatoes, dad. It’s the best I could do for you from
here.’
- Moral Of the Story No maĴer where you are in the world, if you have
decided to do something deep from your heart, you
can do it. It is the thought that maĴers, not where
you are or where the person is.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

A WORD OF A MUM
DHRUV ANAND
A word of a mum which is trusted,
And obeyed by all.
A word of concern,
To one and all.
A word which brings happiness
And cheers to anyone.
A word of truth,
And disguise to none.
A word of satisfaction,
And glory to everyone.
A word of advice,
And love for tons.
It’s the word of our God,
It’s the word of our Mum.

AS THE DAY GOES
Choices and wrong turns are made,
As the day goes and sun fades.
People are loved and hearts are broken,
As the day goes and words are spoken.
Smiles and frowns are shown on the faces,
As the day goes and children play in open spaces.
Happiness and sadness are faced by all,
As the day goes and night falls.
Tears of joy and tears of pain are shed,
As the day goes and all are in bed.

KILLING ENGLISH
“Don’t you have respect for the doors?”
“Form a straight circle”
“Close your teeth’
“No going to toilet or drinking it!!!”
“Draw a circle of any shape”

“Apologies do not mean
that you are wrong and the other one is
right,
It only means that you value the relation- Did you also hear any such dialogues in the
ship
campus? If yes, then you can send them to the
Mail at editor@mayocollege.com.
much more than your EGO”
3. The Mayo College Mail, Saturday, March 14

up-to-date

ILLUSION
While clearing a site for the 2012 Olympic Games, construction workers in London discovered a 2,200 pound, World
War II era bomb—the largest uncovered in more than 30
years!
African termites build their homes nearly 30 feet tall!
King Louis XVII of France never gave a single command and
spent his entire reign (1793-1795) as a prisoner!
A houseﬂy can become a great-grandparent in less than 60
days!
You cannot half-fold any piece of paper more than 7 times!
The U.S. 5 cent coin costs nearly 8 cents to make!
Hedviga Golik of Croatia died in bed in the early 1970s and
remained there until someone discovered her body in May
2008!
Colossal squids have eyes larger than basketballs!
No one voted including the candidates themselves in the
2008 primary elections in Pillsbury, U.S.A.!

H

UMOU

R

Three world famous magicians were in the bar drinking and boasting about their achievements. The ﬁrst one said,”
During my latest show, I made three women from the audience disappear, it was so convincing that their relatives
started panicking, no one could ﬁnd the trick” The second one said, “ Hey, that is nothing, during one of my open
air shows I made the Municipality building disappear and the entire town was searching for it” The third one sighed
and said,” Both of you are so local, I went to Paris and made the Eiffel Tower disappear for a full one hour, it was
live on the TV, entire France was searching for the building & no one had a clue”.
Just then an Indian walked into the bar and the three magicians suddenly turned quiet, gave each other fugitive
glances and started to slip towards the door. A Bartender watching this got curious and asked one of the magicians, “Hey what happened ? Who is that guy ?” One of the magicians whispered, “He is the World’s greatest magician, he has done the biggest disappearing trick of all times, we are all mere amateurs compared with what he has
done. His name is Ramalinga Raju. He has made USD 1.5 billion disappear from his company’s balance sheet in
front of everyone’s eyes, and the entire world is STILL looking for it”.
Online Edition: http://www.mayocollege.com/MayoNewsLetter.asp